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Kyrie Irving is no longer a sneaker free agent. The Dallas Mavericks point guard signed with the Chinese giant shoe brand Anta.
“Uncle Drew” had this to say when a fan asked on Twitter who has the best-selling signature shoes:
“My signature line made the previous brand I was with over 2.6 Billion in Revenue the past 7 years. I can safely say, I am one of them ones out here in the competitive shoe market, dominating. And not to be arrogant, Go Ask around, the kids that grew up wearing/buying my shoes know, respectfully I am that guy because of the Support WORLDWIDE.”
Nike released Kyrie Irving in December last year following his controversial posting on social media a link to an antisemitic film. The backlash directed at Irving was deafening that “The Swoosh” suspended ties with him.
Phil Knight, the Nike founder, had this to say about his company’s decision to detach itself from the eight-time All-Star:
"Kyrie stepped over the line. It's kind of that simple. He made some statements that we just can't abide by, and that's why we ended the relationship. And I was fine with that."
Nike cut the price of Irving’s shoes by around 50% in some models after the decision to sever ties with him came out.
Not to be outdone, Kyrie Irving posted a response:
"There's nothing more priceless than being free."
“Uncle Drew” reportedly earned roughly $11 million with Nike during his stint with the company.
Anta swooped in on Kyrie Irving
For several months, several brands were rumored to be interested in Kyrie Irving. Most of them, according to reports, held back until time had passed since Irving’s controversial incident.
The 2016 champ with the Cleveland Cavaliers played issue-free basketball for most of the season after the antisemitic post. He did grab the headlines again when he asked the Brooklyn Nets to trade him after failing to reach a maximum long-term deal.
Irving’s trade to the Dallas Mavericks was met with cautious expectations from fans of the team. Irving balled out and never got into another trouble.
After signing a new three-year deal with the Mavericks, Anta also picked him from the free-agent shoe market. Sham Chrania broke the news:
“Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving has signed a five-year endorsement deal with Chinese sportswear brand ANTA, plus the unique position of Chief Creative Officer at the company, industry sources told @TheAthletic @Stadium. Irving’s management company, A11Even, negotiated the deal."
Charania added to his report:
“The lucrative new shoe deal for Irving will also give him the ability to recruit/sign players and other collaborators, and bring a level of manufacturing to the United States to kickstart ANTA’s process to fully distribute in the US.”
Loyal Irving fans should get another new sneaker model in a few months. Anta is likely to release a signature shoe before the regular season starts.
